Leaving
by j158n
Summary: In order to heal one must move on. If one cannot move on then pain will be tucked away instead of dealt with, offenders not forgiven, and fears will go un-confronted. But how can you move on from a scar this deep?
1. Prologue

He sat atop the building deep in thought. If it weren't for the city lights he'd see the twinkling stars sparkling against the night sky.

For every star he'd look at he would see another and another until he realized just how infinite it truly was. He'd realize how small Earth was in this ever-expanding beautiful cosmos. Perhaps he'd even forget if just for a second, the grief that was consuming him.

But the city lights were too bright. There was no chance he would see those stars. That cosmos above him. No, he was left to his thoughts and the grief that came with it.

His loved ones were gone. Reduced to nothing more than ashes. The explosion had consumed them before his eyes. Engulfing their every detail in bright light. It was as if it had happened in slow motion. How the light slowly crept up behind them. Slithering against their skin and eating up their hair.

And then they were gone. Leaving smolder and rubble in their place.

In the present atop the building, he leaned forward and allowed himself to fall off the building. He closed his eyes and simply allowed himself to bask in the memory of his friends and family. At first, his heart was pumping furiously the blood banging against his head. the adrenaline filled his body and the air rushed past him doing nothing to slow his fall.

He remembered their faces as the light consumed them. Their mouths were covered but he could see their eyes. Their eyes displayed the range of emotions they felt in their final seconds. Panic, fear, worry, and then... pride?

He stopped his descent and floated in the air.

Pride. They were proud of him. The hero that he had become. The strength and compassion he had shown before the explosion. The bravery he had displayed.

Bravery. He opened his eyes and floated upwards. Back to the ledge, he had just jumped off.

They had remembered him as brave. He would not die the coward's way.

He was strong and he was brave. He would be remembered as such. Danny Fenton would rather die as his family remembered him, and that was not a coward.


	2. Chapter 1

After the explosion, Danny flew home and for a few days just stayed in his bedroom. The traumatic event had mentally shut him down and he needed to recollect himself.

The first thing he decides was that staying with Vlad was out of the question. That singular choice had been a direct cause of his alternate self and he wanted to avoid that future in whatever way possible.

Another thing was his parent's inventions. They were the last thing he had left of his family. If anyone should receive them it should be him. He would not allow their legacy to be filed away and left to collect dust. His parents had taught him the process of assembling and handling inventions ever since he could hold a Fenton branded rattle.

Then there was the issue of money.

Danny sat up and rubbed his face.

He looked around his bedroom. Nothing was touched aside from his bedsheets. It was now approaching a whole week since the event and in that time, he hadn't budged. His appetite was nonexistent and moving felt like he was weighed down with bricks. It got to the point that even just to stand was exhausting. But in Danny's mind, none of it mattered.

"I have to ask…"

Asking Vlad for money seemed to be the only option. Aside from being a billionaire, he was Danny's legal guardian now. To get anything legally it would have to be from Vlad. Perhaps he could bargain with Vlad. It would be hard, but necessary. Vlad was after all a stubborn man.

* * *

"Ok, if that's what you want"

Danny was dumbstruck, it was that easy?

They were sat across from each other in what could only be described as a rich man's living room. Two couches sat opposite of each other along with a wooden coffee table in the center. All of this was sat on top a rather expensive looking Rug. A fireplace was burning lightly next to them. Above it was a very large portrait of Vlad posing in a very imposing manner.

At the moment 'imposing' would not be the word to describe Vlad Masters. He seemed like he hadn't slept in days. His usual held back hair seemed ragged and out of place. His neat goatee had grown out into an untamed beard with stray hairs poking out seeming to break free from the rest.

He was, to be blunt, a mess.

"You're just going to let me leave? Just like that"

"No Daniel, Not 'Just like that.' I would like to know some information first."

Ah, so here was the catch. Danny leaned back in his seat realizing he was going to have to make himself comfortable.

"What kind of information?"

"Well, where are you going? For one. I'd also like to know when the last time you ate was"

Danny blinked. He was expecting some information regarding the fight with his future self. Not his personal health.

"Well… Um…"

And when was the last time he ate?

"I guess we both could go for a good meal right now. Come along, I'll have the kitchen cook something up."

Danny was hesitant. While he was hungry, Vlad was still a possible threat. He didn't want to drop his guard for anything.

Vlad had already gotten up and was halfway to the doorway when he spoke over his shoulder.

"I hope you don't mind, but I had some fudge prepared earlier"

And with that, Danny decided to join Vlad for dinner. Both just happy to share a memory, even if it was just a piece of fudge.

* * *

Danny had decided to stay in Jump City.

It was simply chosen based on a suggestion made by Vlad. An obscure city on the coast where he wouldn't be bothered by his past. That didn't mean he retired from being a hero. No, He still would fight crime but in a much smaller manner. That meant typical thugs and thieves mostly. He also tried to avoid any possibility of being caught in the public's eye.

That was until the alien invasion.

One day while on his way to pick up a pizza from the local spot he watched as a girl fell from the sky and proceeded to smash anything nearby. He would have intervened had not Robin the Boy Wonder suddenly appeared and took charge of the situation.

So instead he watched from the top of a nearby building.

The battle went on for what felt like half an hour. As the fight would continue Danny observed new superpowered individuals appearing and entering the fight. Each unique, Aside from Robin there was a green kid who appeared to shapeshift, a large hooded man who seemed to have super strength, and then there was a cloaked girl who had some form of telekinesis.

Overall it made for an interesting show and Danny did not want to add to the chaos.

Eventually, the fight was resolved when Robin removed what looked like a form of handcuffs from the alien. She flew off, but not before giving the boy wonder a long kiss that surprised any onlooker who happened to be standing by.

The group started to head their separate ways and Danny was about to follow their lead when a giant hologram appeared over the city ordering the return of the girl. Immediately after this, the alien ship unleashed a torrent of aliens that quickly made their way into the city.

Danny decided to stick around and observe the individuals in front of him as they grouped up. They appeared to have an idea of what to do. And he wanted to be around in case he was needed.

So, he followed them.

* * *

"Fools! The Earth scum were warned. Your insolence will be punished. Your city shall be destroyed."

The hologram of the alien leader quickly disappeared as the invading ship made its way over the city. The 5 teens Danny had been watching quickly started blaming one another and arguing.

It was disappointing in his eyes. They'd been doing so well working together. But rather than focus on the group's teamwork Danny flew off towards the ship. Along with still having that itch to save the day as he used to. He also didn't feel like finding a new city so soon after moving.

Going intangible he made his way aboard the ship and was instantly meant with a small dilemma.

He didn't know where he was. How was he supposed to stop the ship from blowing up the city if he didn't know where the control room was?

His answer came in the form of an explosion and shouting which he quickly followed staying invisible the whole time.

Upon arriving at the source of the commotion he was met with the group of teens fighting the alien invaders… and losing.

They were stood before the invaders in what looked like the bridge. Each of them was holding a limb or each other, exhausted before their enemy. The situation was not looking good so Danny decided this was the best time to finally intervene.

Putting himself in front of the others he dropped his invisibility and quickly put a shield up behind him.

"Leave them alone!"

Bracing himself and taking in a large breath of air he released his ghostly wail.

The results were immediate as each of the aliens were flung back towards the ship's controls. The windows shattered, and the ship started to lose altitude falling quickly into the bay below.

The use of all his energy now depleted a ring of energy appeared around his waist and split transforming him back into his human half.

And then he blacked out.


	3. Chapter 3

When Danny awoke, he was lying on the beach. The bright sun in his eyes alerted him to the fact that it was in fact morning and he had been unconscious through the night.

Sitting upright he took in the surrounding area. While he was indeed on the beach, he was nowhere near the city. Dark blue ocean surrounded him in what he made out to be an island not too far from the mainland. He sat in the coarse sand which strangely enough was not itchy in the slightest. He felt as though he had slept on a particularly soft bed not far off from what he used to sleep on when he stayed with Vlad. It was then he noticed the teens from the night before. Rather than appearing to be hostile or afraid, they were just staring at him, seeming to look at him for the first time. He reached up to rub his eyes and was suddenly aware of his human form.

"Shoot" he covered his face in his palm rubbing the bridge of his nose and letting out a frustrated sigh. In using his wail, he had used up all his energy and reverted to his human form. So much for the secret identity.

The teens walked towards him with Robin ahead of them. He seemed to have been decided as the leader. Dumbstruck Danny sat and watched as they approached waiting for an onslaught of questions. Then just as Robin was within arm's length…

…He extended a hand offering to help him up.

Danny was taken aback for a moment before immediately taking the hand and heaving himself into a standing position. Robin smiled at him and the other teens did the same.

"We appreciate the help back there. I hope you don't mind sticking around town"

And that was how he became a Titan.

* * *

A year or two had passed and Danny found himself quite comfortable being a Teen Titan. He had taken to the idea of continuing his parent's legacy of creating ghost tech. Even getting his own personal lab in the tower. While in his human form he had started wearing a lab coat. A present from Cyborg and Beast boy after declaring him the biggest nerd in Titan Tower. Most of his days were now spent tinkering on his parent's old inventions or even building some from scratch with blueprints they left behind.

This did leave him quite distant with the other Titans though. Not to say they're relationship was strained, but he had become one the more reclusive members on the team. For example, usually after stopping the baddie in town, they'd want to celebrate, most often through pizza. But Danny felt he should spend more time working on his parents' inventions. So, whenever the topic of pizza came up Danny would politely decline and head back into his lab. In a way, he felt it was his duty to carry on his parents' dreams. As if it was the only connection, he had left of them.

It helped him cope.

Currently, he was working on a ghost portal. A recreation of the one from Fenton works but improved on in that the ON/OFF switch was instead directly linked to his computer. The portal was along the wall opposite the doorway. His lab was quite like the one his parents had made in the basement. Along the walls were counters covered in vials and test tubes. The standard lab equipment littered every surface in the room yet in an organized manner. Everything had its place sitting neatly where it was needed. Next to his computer was piles of notebooks and other scrap paper an empty coffee mug sat nearby.

Just as he was making some finishing touches on the said portal, he heard some noise coming from the living room. It was muffled, but it was very clearly the sound of voices. Deciding he had been shut in his lab a bit too long today he went to investigate.

Upon reaching the living room he was met with the titans all arguing about… something. Robin was desperately trying to hold everyone off each other. Cyborg and Beast boy seemed to be the main culprit of the disagreement, pointing fingers at one another and shouting, Raven looked like she was going to kill them both and Starfire….

A blue mold immediately exploded from the kitchen covering everyone within range in its disgusting glob-like fluid. Starfire smiled innocently at everyone trying to make herself seem smaller.

"Maybe we should just go out to eat"

They all agreed with Robin, disgusted with the blue substance. It was then that they noticed Danny standing in the doorway.

He was… ungroomed to say the least. His eyes had large bags underneath them while "bed head" could not begin to describe the nest that had formed on his head. Below all this, a light afternoon shadow was beginning to take shape over his face.

They all stared at his zombie-like appearance for a minute before composing themselves.

Robin was the first to speak up "Would you like to come to Danny?"

"Yeah Dude! You look like you need it!" Beast Boy interjected

Cyborg immediately pushed Beast Boy to the side "What he means is you just look like you need some sunlight!"

"and a shower" Raven muttered

Danny stared at them. Covered in head to toe in the blue goop. They looked at him with puppy dog eyes that he thought only little kids could perfect.

"Sure, but I think we all could use a shower first"

The Titans were amazed at the agreement but then were brought right back to their current state.

"Agreed"

Once again, they were sat together arguing. It seemed like ages before Raven insisted that they finally order something. Starfire then came up with a strange order that left them all staring in disgust and disbelief.

Danny was alerted to a small device on his wrist that had started to make a quiet beeping. Quickly standing Danny excused himself saying there was something he needed to take care of back at the tower. The rest of the Titans watched him go and were just about to bring him back when they then were alerted to the sound of a honking bus.

* * *

Danny arrived back in his lab and sat down at his computer. He installed a small alarm that would alert him to any sort of breach in the portal. From this side, he saw nothing wrong which meant…

He walked inside the portal and was met with nothing.

'A malfunction, I guess' he thought

He turned around and was about to head back when he suddenly realized how nice it felt inside the ghost zone. Ever since the explosion he hadn't stepped foot into the alternate dimension and found it somewhat relaxing. The air seemed to lull him into a peaceful feeling of bliss. He slowly closed his eyes and allowed his body to drift to sleep.

* * *

Jinx was amazed by how easy it was to beat the titans. The headmaster had made them out to be the ultimate opponent yet as soon as Robin fell, they all followed. Their intel was wrong though. They had been told there were six titans, but when they faced them there were only five. Now she was walking through their tower taking little trophies from each of their rooms. As she was walking, she suddenly became aware of an unusual room. Different from the rest in that the door was made of reinforced metal. Finding it unlocked she decided to peer inside.

It was a lab, that much she could tell but with a big glowing green hole in the wall. Next to it was a computer which immediately caught her attention. She decided to investigate well, snoop would be a better word. The computer was unlocked much to her delight, but she quickly found that every folder was password protected. All except one, inside she found countless pictures of a teenaged boy and his family. Looking further she found more pictures of the boy and two other teens. One thing she noted was how happy he looked in every photo.

She found herself smiling along with each picture. As if she was there enjoying each activity. Realizing this she quickly closed the folder and left. But not without taking one last look at the glowing hole. It seemed to radiate energy she didn't quite like. As if there was something just naturally wrong with it. Spilling foreign energy into the world from somewhere she hoped to never visit. She quickly ran out of the room. She didn't know why but she had to get away from that room. Whatever that thing was it was wrong.


	4. Chapter 4

Fires consumed his body. Everywhere he looked was fire. Or maybe there never was a fire. It felt so hot. His body was burning. Suddenly the heat was moving. Tiny bodies wriggled in masses across him. Rats. He was covered in rats. Their large furry bodies were wriggling and moving together as one. The heat was unbearable. He could feel them start to dig into his chest. Their small bodies scratched at his chest, prying at it desperate to reach his insides. One of the rats crawled away from the rest. It slunk its way past the others towards his shoulder. He could feel its hot breath on his cheek and then his ear as it moved its large muzzle. It then whispered to him. Its voice was beautiful and ugly. Rough and gentle.

"You may have forgotten death, but she has not forgotten you. Drain thee of your woes as the end times approach. Death never held you nor has she let go. As long as your body is stuck between worlds, she cannot claim you. She will try though, my child, do not forget that. As much as you are alive you are dead. When the time comes you will give in, but until then we will feast. We are one and you are yet to be as us. Wake up now, my child, but remember our words. Sacrifice is not in vain. Death will reward you."

Danny awoke with a gasp. His head pounded and suddenly was relieved. He was still drowsy from his nap and need a minute to take in his surroundings. He soon realized he was still in the Ghost Zone and looked at his surroundings. Surprisingly he was still within walking distance to the portal.

Arriving back into his lab Danny quickly shut the portal. He wanted to know how long he was gone and began to head over to his computer when he heard voices. The fact that he heard voices didn't surprise him as the Titans were not the quietest speakers. He could easily hear Cyborg or Beast boy talking about the latest video game or argue about their meals on most days. But these were not the Titan's voices.

Upon realizing this Danny decided to investigate. He saw no reason that an intruder would be in the tower as it was easily one of the most secure buildings in the city, well, at least that's what Cyborg told him. With this thought in mind, he changed into his human form and made his way to the living quarters. Maybe Robin had brought some guests. He did have connections with other supers.

When he arrived, he was met with an odd sight. Three individuals who did not belong. Through their conversations, he deduced their names and watched them gorge on his teammate's belongings. Mammoth was eating their blue furry food. Eating each bite as if it was a delicious morsel. Gizmo was going through their music library. Deciding every disc was trash and quickly discarding it over his shoulder. Jinx was wearing Robin's Belt and Raven's cape. She commented on Raven's lack of variety in fashion and admired herself in a small mirror.

It took a moment before they noticed him. But when they did it was the giant who spoke first. "Who's the geek? I thought the Titans were the only ones in this place." Jinx responded "There was a sixth titan in the briefing. Maybe that's him?" Gizmo snorted "Yeah right. This dork doesn't look anything like those crudmunchers. He must be their intern or something"

As they spoke Danny found them more interesting. They must have beaten or tricked the other titans somehow. By the sounds of it, they were organized and briefed. He wondered what information they could have on him but seeing as they didn't even know his name. It must not be much.

As he thought this Mammoth approached him seemingly bored with the whole conversation. "Well, whoever he is. He's about to be thrown out the window." With this said he reached out to grab Danny and was surprised when Danny responded by holding his arm in place. "What the heck?" and with that Mammoth was thrown across the room.

Jinx and Gizmo looked where Mammoth had been thrown. Then to each other and finally back at Danny. This scrawny guy in a lab coat had just thrown the biggest guy they knew like he was a throw pillow. Before they could react, the alarms of the towers went off. Cyborg's arm leaped from a nearby chair and onto gizmo wrapping him in wire before launching him into the vents. A shadowy hand appeared from the ceiling and grabbed Jinx. Mammoth was just getting his bearings before being blasted into the hallways by a green blast.

Danny watched this all happen right in front of him and was confused about what to do next before hearing explosions above him. Concluding they were on the roof and he was still waking up from his nap he decided to take the elevator.

Upon arriving he found that the titans had just about beaten the intruders. The titans were huddled together around the three and were seeming to question them about someone names Slade. As Danny walked closer everyone immediately turned their attention to him.

"And where were you at this whole time!" Cyborg yelled, "We haven't seen you in over a week!"

This caught Danny off guard. He thought he'd been sleeping for a few hours, not days. Realizing this he immediately felt embarrassed, blushed, and rubbed the back of his head.

"I was asleep" he smiled

* * *

Jinx was amazed by this guy. He avoids them for days, shows up out of nowhere, throws Mammoth like nothing, and then says he spent the whole time sleeping. There was something off about him though. He gave her that same creepy feeling that the glowing wall had, but not as intense. She could tell that he wasn't telling his team everything. Not lying but leaving out something important. The team seemed used to his behavior though and left the subject as soon as he dismissed it.

While waiting for the authorities she got to observe the titans more closely. More importantly, she got to observe Danny.

He was different than the rest of the titans. He wasn't as proud and seemed to try to make himself as invisible as possible. While Raven was quiet Danny was nonexistent. He avoided the public and was rarely seen in the news. That much she knew from their intel. But when she got to see him in person he was just as elusive.

At one point between interrogation and transport, she got to speak to Raven. She asked her about Danny and wasn't expecting an answer. Much less the answer she got.

"You probably know more than us. Danny doesn't like talking about himself. Don't be fooled though he's powerful. Probably stronger than all of us"

With this information, Jinx's curiosity skyrocketed.

* * *

"Tell me about yourself"

Danny was surprised by the question. He was giving Jinx her food when she jumped the question on him. The Transport told the tower there would be a delay, so they were stuck with the three criminals in their holding cells. Danny was asked to deliver them each their food before bed and felt no need to argue. But he was not expecting to be asked anything personal by any of the prisoners.

"Why?" This was all Danny could think to respond with. She had no reason to be asking something like that unless she planned to use it against him.

"I'm curious about you. We were given intel and newspaper articles on all of you. We were briefed on your abilities, your weaknesses, and your attack strategies. But out of everyone, you were the one they had no information on." Jinx seemed to think for a moment before continuing "Come to think of it. You never even properly fought us. Yet nobody seems surprised by this except me"

Danny looked at the girl before him. She seemed genuinely curious. As much as he wanted her to be playing some ploy, she didn't seem to have any cruel intention. Just pure honesty.

Danny sighed "I don't see it necessary to always help the titans. They do well without me. Plus, I have projects here I like to focus on. Why should I waste time on some burglars when I can stay here and make progress?"

"But aren't you a hero? Sworn to protect the city and all that?"

Danny smiled "I'm no hero. People died because of me"

Without another food, he handed her food through the cell door and left. His last words furthered Jinx's curiosity. She didn't know if he had actually answered her or if she had gotten any answer at all.

* * *

That night Danny was restless. He tossed and turned feeling his room get hotter. Soon all he felt was the sweat drenching his body and lightheadedness that made him feel as though he were falling.

And then he was falling. Endlessly into a dark abyss that swallowed him up in an instant. He tried to get an idea of up and down but quickly found this impossible. He felt a soft surface on his back and noted that he was no longer falling but laying in a grassy meadow. He noticed a young girl sitting a few feet away from him.

He couldn't make out her features and when she spoke her voiced sounded reversed, yet she spoke clearly.

"Don't forget what you left. The present is only the making of the past. The suffering must be felt in the present or else the past becomes forgotten. Do you remember me?"

As she spoke, she crawled closer to him. Her form changed from that of a little girl to a figure made of maggots. The thing hovered just above his head before digging what would-be thumbs into his eyes.

He awoke, startled, sitting up quickly. The nightmare was beginning to fade as he made his way out of bed. By the time he had dressed the dream was forgotten completely and he made his way to the living room.

Through the window, Danny saw that the sun was just beginning to rise.


End file.
